1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wiring structure for a hybrid vehicle motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A system is known which selectively uses either both or one of the driving force of an internal combustion engine and the driving force of a motor, as a drive format for a hybrid vehicle.
For the motor of the hybrid vehicle drive unit according to this drive format, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-25187, an alternating current motor is used arranged between an internal combustion engine and a transmission, with a rotor thereof connected to the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine.
As shown in FIG. 6, for a stator 51 of a hybrid vehicle motor 50, a device is used where multiple stator units 56 made by winding coils 55 via an insulation member 54 around pole teeth 53 formed by laminating magnetic steel plates 52, are arranged around the circumferential direction to thereby give a configuration constructed in a ring shape arranged around the periphery of a rotor 57.
This stator 51 is retained in a ring shape by being fitted to an approximately cylindrical stator retaining ring 58, and in this condition, is accommodated within a cast motor housing 59. Moreover, regarding the coils 55 of each stator unit 56 constituting the stator 51, the same phase pairs are mutually connected by an annular bus ring 60 arranged on one axial end face of the stator 51.
A radially penetrating opening 61 is provided in the motor housing 59, and an electrically conductive member 62 connected to each bus ring 60 passes through this opening 61 and extends to outside of the motor housing 59. The electrically conductive member 62 has on a surface thereof, for example, an insulating coating of a fluorocarbon resin material.
Moreover, on an upper part of the motor housing 59 a connection terminal 64 is provided for connecting a power source cable 63 for supplying electrical power from the outside to the motor 50, and there is arranged a terminal box 65 for accommodating the connection terminal 64. The electrically conductive member 62 is also connected to the connection terminal 64. As a result, the power source cable 63 is connected to each coil 55 through the electrically conductive member 62 and the bus ring 60.
The terminal box 65 comprises a sidewall which surrounds the connection terminal 64 by extending part of the material constituting the motor housing 59 radially outwards, and a cover 67 fitted so as to cover an opening 66 formed at the top of the sidewall. Moreover, a wiring opening 68 is provided in a part of the sidewall, through which the power source cable 63 passes.
The wiring operation for the conventional hybrid vehicle motor 50 constructed in this way is performed with the cover 67 off and the terminal box 65 open, by fastening to the connection terminal 64 by a bolt 69, one end of the electrically conductive member 62 extending from the opening 61 of the motor housing 59, and one end of the power source cable 63 arranged inside the terminal box 65 through the wiring opening 68. Then, after connecting the power source cable 63 and the electrically conductive member 62, the cover 67 is shut and the terminal box 65 sealed to thereby prevent flooding etc. into the connection parts.
However, in the conventional wiring structure for the hybrid vehicle motor 50 constructed in this way, there are the following problems.
Firstly, because the hybrid vehicle motor 50 of the above structure is arranged adjacent to the internal combustion engine 70, then auxiliary equipment and piping and the like fitted to the internal combustion engine 70 is arranged near the surface of the motor housing 65, in particular, a coupling 71 for cooling piping is arranged on the upper face of the motor housing 65 which is easily accessed from the outside. Therefore, the upper face of the terminal box 65 of the hybrid vehicle motor 50 is completely covered which is inconvenient.
In other words, in the conventional hybrid vehicle motor 50, the coupling 71 becomes an obstruction, making it difficult to remove the cover 67 of the terminal box 65. Therefore, when performing maintenance or inspection of the electrically conductive member 62 or the connection terminal 64 or the like inside the terminal box 65, it is necessary to remove the coupling 71, or the hybrid vehicle motor 50 itself, from internal combustion engine 70.
Moreover, since due to the above reason, it is difficult to remove the cover 67 of the terminal box 65 once the hybrid vehicle motor 50 has been fitted to the internal combustion engine 70, it is necessary to perform the operation for connecting the connection terminal 64 and the power source cable 63 inside the terminal box 65 before assembly. Therefore, when performing the assembly of the hybrid vehicle motor 50 to the internal combustion engine 70, it is necessary for the operator to handle the hybrid vehicle motor 50 with the power source cable 63 in a connected condition, so there is the inconvenience of poor operability.
Secondly, in the conventional wiring structure where the electrically conductive member 62 leading from the bus ring 60 is covered by a fluorocarbon insulating material, the material itself is expensive, and there is the additional inconvenience in that when forming the insulating coating, it is necessary to apply a protective treatment to parts where the surface treatment and insulation treatment is not required, so the actual manufacture of the electrically conductive member 62 is time consuming, and product costs are high.